Everything's so easy for Pauline
Everything's so easy for Pauline

Ancient strings set feet a'light to speed to her
Such mild grace
No monument of tacky gold
They smooth her hair with cinnamon waves
And they placed an ingot in her breast
To burn, cool and collected
Fate holds her firm in its cradle
And then rolls her for a tender pause to savor

Everything’s so easy for Pauline

Girl with the parking lot eyes
Margaret is the fragment of a name
Her bravery is mistaken for the thrashing in the lake
By a make-believe monster whose picture is fake
Margaret is the fragment of a name

Her love pours like a fountain
Her love steams like rage
Jaw aches from wanting
And she's sick from chlorine
But she'll never be as clean
As the cool side of satin, Pauline

Two girls ride the blue line
Two girls walk down the same street
One left a sweater sitting on the train
And the other lost three fingers at the cannery

Everything's so easy for Pauline
For Pauline...



Lyrics submitted by delial

Track duration: 02:53


Margaret vs. Pauline song meanings
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16 Comments

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  • +1
    My Interpretation:I don't think of Margaret & Pauline as two separate people - they are two ways to be & to feel and you would be mistaken to think you can only relate to one of the two.

    I'm Pauline when I'm calm and cool and feeling beautiful. Like an "ice princess" who is not burdened by emotion.

    I'm Margaret when I'm fierce and in love and desperate and confused. When I'm ruled by my heart rather than my head.

    I wouldn't want to be just one of the two. I think a balance of bravery & love & wanting with mild & collected & satisfied is perfect. Now I just need to get there. :)
    Flag nolafwugon October 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's simply about how life, nature and luck play into people's lives. For some life is effortless and for others it's a constant struggle.
    Flag cubbyjoon June 13, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Great deep song with multiple interpretations possible. Here's my thought:
    I think Margaret killed Pauline.
    Flag Thinker5on March 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:not so much class struggle as the inherent inequity of life
    Flag overlyelectricalon March 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:CLASS
    STRUGGLE
    Flag downhillracerson September 16, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:*as if three of their fingers were chopped off.
    Flag TheSFletcheron November 14, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I love the lines:

    One left a sweater sitting on the train
    And the other lost three fingers at the cannery

    As these are both tradgedies to the respective girls.
    I can just see some girls from my school flipping out about loosing a sweater, and if three of their fingers were chopped off.
    Flag TheSFletcheron November 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is actually based on the book "In Watermelon Sugar" as MyElectricHeart said.
    It is about how Margaret is so loving, and can't really deny those who are shunned, and because of that she is slightly pushed away. While on the other hand Pauline is a simple girl and is loved because of it. Margaret likes the unknown and all that has been lost throughout time.

    It's really hard to describe... I guess you'd have to read the book.
    I read the book, and I must say Ms. Case describes the characters very well, but she does not tell you the story.

    Good book.
    Flag inwatermelonsugaron September 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I believe it is about how Fate plays favorites like it was mentioned above.

    The death portrayal ignores a lot of the other verses.

    The very first verse describes how Pauline was created. The ingot in her breast is her heart of gold. "Fate holds her firm in its cradle, and then rolls her for a tender pause to savor." Fate created this lovely doll then let her go for a tender pause, her life, to enjoy.

    Magaret gets nothing.
    Flag anaisconceon September 18, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Here's my interpretation:

    "they smooth her hair with cinnamon waves
    and they placed an ingot in her breast
    to burn, cool and collected"

    The morticians beautified Pauline for her funeral

    "but she’ll never be as clean
    as the cool side of satin, pauline"

    Margaret's jealous of Pauline, who's dead in a coffin (cool side of satin) and in eternal peace

    "Everything's so easy for Pauline"

    once again, everything's easier when you're dead
    Flag TearsforAffairson September 03, 2006   Link

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